Method of and machine for packaging flexible sheets



Feb. 13, 1951 L SALFISBERG 25419387 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PACKAGING FLEXIBLE SHEETS Filed Allg. 15, 1945 4 SheeS-Sheeb l iill. INVENToR. w LEEOY LSA/.mesma ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1951 L. l.. SALFISBERG METHOD OF' AND MACHINE FOR PACKAGING FLEXIBLE SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1946 ATTH/YEY Feb. 13, 1951 L. L. SALFISBERG 2,541,387

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PACKAGING FLEXIBLE SHEETS Filed Aug. 15, 1946 4 sheets-sheet s JNVENToR. LEROY LSALFISBER ATTORNEY L. L. SALFISBERG Feb. 13, 1951 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PACKAGING FLEXIBLE SHEETS 4 Sheets-.Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 15, 194e INVENTOR. LEROY LSALF/ssea Patented Feb. 13, 1951 `METHOD OF AND'MACHINE, FOR PACK- AGING FLEXIBLE SHEETS Leroy'L.` Salsberg, South 0range,rN. J., -assignor :to livers-Leev Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation ofDelaware Application August 15, 1946,Serial`No. 690,769

Claims. (Cl. .9S- 3)v yThisinvention. relatesl to a method'of and machine for sheathing or packaging flexible sheets, particularly sheets of fabric and especially sheets impregnated with or serving as a vehicle for a chemical or medicine in liquid, paste or powder form. More specifically, .the machine is designed for fabricating sheathed flexible sheets that are described in-rny copending application, Serial No. 678,518, led June `21, 1946, which comprise a sheet of fabric or the like, vzig-zag folded into a compact body and snug-ly enclosed Within a sheath of metal foil or the like.

It is one object of `the invention to provide a novel andqimproved method wherein two strips ofpackaging or sheathing materiaL'such as metal foil,are fed continuously intoV opposed spaced relation to each other between rolls-which have peripheral cavities surrounded by sealing-areasyand the sheet is zig-zag folded and pressed between said layers of packaging material with the plies of the folds in substantial contact with each other and disposed transversely of the planes ofthe strips softhat as the rolls lrotatein opposite directions, the cavities therein will form. clearances for the folded sheet,xand Isaid 'sealing areas will seal lthe strips of packaging Amaterialtogether in zones surrounding the folded sheet yto "form a package.

web

description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in ,wh-ich;

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of= and machine lfor feedingfthe-strips of packaging material, feeding a web of the material to be packaged, severing sections or sheets from said web, folding said sheets er sections with axzig-Zagfor 4accordionpleating -foldy pressing the-folded strip between thesheets of packaging material and sealing the strips around-the folded sheet, whereby the operationmay be continuous, rapid and require a minimum of attention from the operator.

Another object is to provide-:a machine of lthis character whichs'hall include a-novel and improved combination of means for feeding a web ofthe material to bepackaged, means for severing sections or sheets from'said web, means for folding the sheetsA and means for pressing vthe folded sheets between layers or strips of packaging material, whereby the web can be continuouslyjfed, ,the strips of packaging material can be .continuously fed and adequate time is providedfor folding .the sheets after theyhave been severed from the-web, to enable a rapid and continuous l operation..

A further object is to provide inllch arnachine, lnoveL-and improved .means fonfoldinglthe `Figure lis a schematic sideY elevational view of. a machine embodying the invention, with por,- tions .broken away for clearness in illustration.

:FigureZ is. a top planviewof the` machine.

Figurev 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View on the plane of the line 3-.3of Figure 2.

Figure 4 isa transverse vertical sectional View on the planeof the line lf-.4.0i Figure. f

Fig-ureAA is a. transverservertical sectional view, on the line 4A-4A of, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view on the planeofthe. line A5--5 of lf"igure 1.

`Figure 6 is a similar view on the, plane of vthe line 6 6 ofFigurel..

Figure f7 is agreatly enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinalsectional viewon .the plane of the vline l-l. of Figure2, withportions omitted for clearness iny illustration, showing one ofthe sheets. being folded and another lsheet being enclosed within` the packaging material.

Figurev is a similar view showing the folded sheets being pressed between `the strips of-packaging material.

Figure` 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view onthe plane ofthe line -Q of Figure '7; and

Figure .l0 isa similar view on the plane of the line Ill-lli ofFigureS.

Specically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, .the machine has4 vbeen shown as comprising a frame l, at one side and one end of which is mounted a spool or reel 2 for the web 3 of material to be packaged, for example, fabric.

Mounted-on a bracket l projecting from the front wallof theframa is a container 5 for a substance t o be applied tothe strip or with4 which the strip is to 4be impregnated. Where facecleaning pads are to be made, the web will be formed of flannel and thesubstance in the .lcontainer 5 will vbe a cleaning liquid. The web 3 passes over a guide roller 6 on its way into the container 5, and a second guide roller 'l is adjustably mounted within the container on a suitable bracket 3 so th-atthe web may be brought downwardly frornthe roller ,Sinto the substance in ther container, thence around the roller l and then upwardly out of the container.

VCombined ,feed and guide rollers 9 and l0 are arranged ,above the container on the frame I ,l

Other'objects, advantages andresults of the invention will be ybrought out by the following.

and as shown, the roller is mounted on a shaft I I JOurnaled in the frame I, while the roller I6 is journaled on a stub shaft l2 carried by a bracket I3 which is pivoted at I4 on the frame and is normally influenced by an adjustable spring I5 so as to press the roller I9 toward the roller 9 and thereby cause the web to be gripped between said rollers. The rollers are driven in opposite directions by intermeshing gears I6 on their shafts which, in turn, are driven through an idler l1 that meshes with another idler pinion I8 that in turn meshes with a pinion I9 on a shaft 29 which is journaled in the frame I and has a web-pulling roller 2| rigidly connected thereto and provided with serrations, teeth or prongs 22 on its periphery which penetrate the web 3 when the latter is drawn under the roller as shown in Figure l.

The shaft 26 has another gear 23 which m'eshes with a gear 24 on another shaft 25 on which is mounted a smooth-surfaced roll 26 that forms a part of the web-feeding and severing mechanism. The shaft 25 constitutes the drive shaft of the machine and may be connected to any suitable source of power.

Cooperating with the roll 26, is a, severing roller 21 that is journaled on a bracket 28 pivotally mounted at 29 on the frame and normally influenced by a spring 30 to force the roller 21 toward the roll 26. The roller 21 has a cutting blade 3l projecting from its periphery, and is rotated from the gear 24 through -a pinion 32 at a sneed somewhat greater than the sneed of feeding of the web, so that during the rotation of said roller, the blade 3l is pressed against the roll 26 and at the same time pulls on the web so as to cut therethrough and sever a section from the w'eb upon each revolution of the roller 21.

When the web 3 is impregnated with a liquid or paste, the web is held in contact with the surface of the roll 26 by adhesion` and after each section is severed, the web is pulled or fed beyond the cutting roller 21 by the adhesion of the web to the roll. The feeding roller 2| assists in pulling the web from the supply reel 2 and through the substance in the container 5, and also will prevent backward movement of the web in case of slight slippage of the web on the roll 26.

As each section is severed fromthe web, it is presented to the folding mechanism which comprises two rollers 33 that have intermeshing approximately V-shaned longitudinal ribs and grooves on their peripheries; and the ribs on one of the rollers are so located with respect to the roll 26 that the edges of the ribs 34 on the roller barely clear the peripheral surface of the roll 26 at about the horizontal diametral plane of said roll. These folding rollers are mounted on shafts 35 and are caused to rotate in opposite directions by interrneshing pinions 31, and a pinion 36 on one of the shafts 35 which meshesl with an idler gear 38 that'in turn meshes with the gear 24 on the drive shaft 25. The parts are so proportioned that the folding rollers 33 are of a, diameter of about one-half of the diameter of the roll 26, and said folding rollers rotate at a speed about twice that of said roll.

Accordingly, when the leading edge of a severed section 39 (Figure '1) of the web 3 approaches the common horizontal di-ametral plane of the folding roller and the roll 26, the rapidly moving ribs on the folding roller nearer the roll 26 will pick up said leading edge of said section 39 and carry it upwardly and forwardly over said folding roller. Thus the section 39 will be quickly pulled off the roll 26 as the leading edge of the remaining web is moved toward the folding roller by said roll.

As the said section 39 passes between the folding rollers, it is folded with a Zig-zag or accordion-pleating fold and is deposited onto a guide throat 4I) which leads to the sealing rollers 4|, over which strips 42 and 43 of packaging material, such as metal foil, are drawn from the respective supply reels 44 and 45. These sealing rollers are rotated in opposite directions so as to draw said strips 42 and 43 between them by intermeshing gears 46 and a gear 41 mounted on the shaft of one of said rollers, and meshing -With an idlerV pinion i8'which in turn meshes with a pinion 48a on the drive shaft 25. The peripheries of said sealing rollers have circumferentially spaced cavities 49 so that one cavity of each roll is juxtaposed to one cavity of the other roll to form a clearance for the folded sheet 5U as the rollers rotate and the folded sheet is pressed between the strips 42 and 43. These cavities 49 are surrounded by areas 5I which are preferably serrated for sealing the strips 42 and 43 together in zones bounding the folded sheet.

The folded sheet 50 is pressed betweenthe strips 42 and 43 with its plies in substantial contact with each other and disposed transversely of the planes of said strips. As shown, the folded sheet is pushed from the throat and between the strips by push rods 52 which pass between the folding rollers through circumferential grooves 53 in the rollers and are connected at their upper ends to a cross-head 54 which is pivotally mounted at 55 on a lever 56 that is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends 51 on the frame I and h-as at its other end a roller 58 which follows a cam 59 on a counter-shaft 6!) which is driven through bevel gearingl from the drive shaft 25. The push rods are normally elevated to a point above the folding rollers as shown in Figures 4 and 7 by -a tension spring 62.

The parts are driven in timed relation and so proportioned that upon the completion of the folding of each sheet, the cam 59 forces the push rod downwardly and presses the folded sheet 50 into the approaching cavities 49 of the sealing rollers 4I as best shown in Figure 8. The push rods also hold the folded sheet snugly in said cavities until the sealing rollers have almost completely sealed the strips 42 and 43 around the folded sheet, whereupon the push rods are quickly elevated or withdrawn to their normal position.

It will thus be seen that a chain or continuous strip of packaged sheets 63 will emerge from the sealing rollers 4I, and it may be desirable to score or weaken the Zones of the packaging strips between the respective packages to facilitate sep-i aration of the individual packages from each other. For this purpose, the sealing rollers may have cooperating scoring or cutting blades 64 of known construction to produce perforations or scored lines 65 in the packaging strips. If desired, the chain of packages may be severed into sections, each comprising a plurality of packages, by severing rollers 66 which have cooperating cutting blades 61 so related to the peripheries of the rollers as to sever sections comprising the desired number of packages. These severing rollers may be driven from one of the gears 46 through an idler 63 which meshes with a gear 69 on the shaft of one of the rollers 66 which in turn meshes with a gear 19 on the shaft of the other roller 66.

While I have shown and described the inven- .tion-as: embodyingA .certain vdetails ofi construction and inv-a certainacombinationof parts, Iit is-ftobe understood that Athis =isl primarilyyfor the .purpose of'l illustratingzthe principles .o'fthe' invention and that many modifications and changes :':may be madein i the combination and construction of the parts within the yspirit and scope of the invention. f Y

,QI claim: ,f 1

1. The method of sheathing -iexible sheet material, comprising continuously longitudinally feeding a web of saidmaterial, severing said web transversely to form sheets` in succession, and 'zig-zag 'folding said. sheets :successively veach-.into a plurality of pliesas they `are severed from said web, pressing theplies ofeach sheet intoy contact with each other and simultaneously pushing the folded sheet between opposed 'flexible "layers of packaging material with said plies of the folded sheet in substantial contact with each other and disposed transversely of the planes of said layers, and sealing said layers together to enclose said folded sheets between them.

2. The method of sheathing flexible sheet material, comprising lcontinuously longitudinally feeding a web of said material, severing said web transversely to form sheets in succession, and zig-zag folding said sheets successively each into a plurality of plies as they are severed from said web, continuously longitudinally feedingstrips of packaging material in opposed spaced relation to each other at opposite sides of said folded sheets, periodically pressing said strips together in transverse zones, depositing said folded sheets between said strips in succession each above one of said transverse zones with said plies disposed transversely of the planes of said strips, and sealing said strips around said folded sheets.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, with the additional step of pushing each folded sheet against said strips adjacent said transverse zone to press said plies into contact with each other.

4. The method of sheathing flexible sheet material, comprising continuously longitudinally feeding a web of said material, severing said web transversely to form sheets in succession, and successively folding said sheets transversely along parallel lines into a plurality of approximately parallel plies, continuously feeding strips of packaging material into opposed spaced relation to each other at opposite sides of each folded sheet, pressing said folded sheets in spaced succession between said strips with the said plies disposed transversely of the planes of said strips and partially sealing said strips together around each folded sheet while the latter is pressed and held in said folded condition and until said strips enclose said sheet sufciently to prevent unfolding of the sheet and then completing the sealing together of said strips to entirely enclose said folded sheet.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising means for continuously feeding a web of flexible material, means for severing said web transversely to form sheets in succession, means for folding said sheets in succession along transverse parallel lines into approximately parallel plies, means for continuously feeding strips of packaging material into spaced and opposed relation to each other at opposite sides of said folded sheets, means for periodically pressing said strips together in transverse zones, and means for pushing each-folded sheet between said strips in succession each above one of said, transverse amigas?? 6 zones :with saidfpl-ies, disposed transverselyzorthe planes of said strips.

6. 'A'machine as denedjn, claim.5with.the.ad dition'of means for :sealingthe longitudinal marginal zones lof zsaid strips together to completely enclose saidv folded sheets between. said strips.

"7. A machine of the 'characterdescribed, comprisingmeans for continuously feeding a web of flexible material, `means yfor severing said web transversely to form sheets in succession, r.means for 'withdrawing said sheets successively from said web and for foldingeach sheet along transverse'lines into approximately parallel plies as it is withdrawn, thelast named means moving the tail end of each sheet away from. the leading end of said web at a greater speed than the feed of said web, 'means for :continuously feeding strips of packaging material into spaced'and `opposed `relation to each other at opposite sides ofsaid folded sheets, means for periodically pressing said strips together in transverse zones, and means for pushing each folded sheet between said strips in succession each above one of said transverse Zones with said plies disposed transversely of the planes of said strips and means for sealing the longitudinal marginal zones of said strips together to completely enclose said folded sheets between said strips.

8. A packaging machine comprising means for continuously feeding a web of flexible material, a roll frictionally receiving on its periphery the leading end of said web, means for continuously rotating said roll at a peripheral speed greater than the feed of said web by said feeding means, whereby said web is maintained under tension and may slip relatively to said roll, means for severing a portion of said web on said roll to form sheets of said flexible material in succession,

means for withdrawing said sheets successively from said roll and for folding each sheet along transverse lines into approximately parallel plies as it is withdrawn, the last named means withdrawing said sheets in succession from said roll at speed greater than the peripheral speed of the roll so that the tail end of each sheet shall precede the leading end of said web on said roll in substantially spaced relation, means for continuously feeding strips of packaging material into spaced and opposed relation to each other at opposite sides of said sheets, means for periodically pressing said strips together in transverse zones and means for pushing each folded sheet between said strips in succession each above one of said transverse zones with said plies disposed transversely of the planes of said strips, and means for sealing the longitudinal marginal zones of said strips together to completely enclose said y folded sheets between said strips.

9. The packaging machine as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for withdrawing said sheets from said roll and for feeding each sheet come prises a roller having a plurality of alternately disposed longitudinal ribs and grooves in its periphery and mounted to rotate in the same direction as said roll about an axis parallel to that of said roll so that said ribs will engage the leading edge of said sheet and lift it from the periphery of said roll, a second roller like the firstmentioned roller mounted to rotate with its ribs and grooves intermeshing with those of the rstmentioned roller so as to receive said sheet between the rollers, and means for rotating said rollers in opposite directions and at a higher peripheral speed than said roll, Vwhereby said sheet will be peeled from said roll by said first-men- 7 tioned roller and zig-zag folded by vsaid rollers in a continuous operation.

10. The method of sheeting exible sheeting material comprising continuously longitudinally feeding a Web of said material, severing said web transversely to form sheets in succession, withdrawing said sheets successively from said web with the tail end of each sheet moving away from the leading end of said web at a greater speed than the feed of said web, folding each sheet along transverse lines into approximately parallel plies as it is withdrawn, continuously feeding strips of packaging material into opposed spaced relation to each other at opposite sides of each folded sheet, pressing said folded sheets in spaced succession between said strips with the said plies disposed transversely of the planes of said Strips and partially sealing said strips together around each folded sheet While the latter is pressed and held in said folded condition and until'said strips enclose said sheet sufficiently to prevent unfolding of the sheet, and then completing the sealing together of said strips to entirely enclose saidY folded sheet.

LEROY L. SALFISBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record vin the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,418,115 Wheeler MayBO, 1922 1,886,312 Stanton Nov. 1, 1932 1,972,850 .McCarthy e Sept. 4, 1934 1,972,851 McCarthy Sept. 4, 1934 2,083,617 Salflsberg June 15, 1937 

